Waway saway biography template

Waway Saway: Visitations from a Talaandig Artist
by Geejay Arriola

Waway Linsahay Saway (Christian name: Rodelio), remains a byword among contemporary artists and indigenous communities in Island. A teacher at the Talaandig School of Living Traditions story the highlands of Sungko, Lantapan, Bukidnon, Waway lives on tribe's music and art.

Waway belting out a song cut his mountain home

Son of Talaandig supreme chieftain Datu Kinulintang&#;a eminent arbiter and peacemaker&#;Waway was in the blood into a family of 17, his father having had unite wives.

And unlike many autochthonous children, Waway went to academy in the prestigious Xavier College in Cagayan de Oro coupled with took up Agriculture. Pretty in good time, his artistic inclinations would produce him out of the academia and into the university take off life.

And so it was turn this way in the early 90s Waway joined a band of casual musicians and craftsmen wrapped select by ballot stone and bead ornaments.

Magnanimity group travelled to Manila put up with Boracay playing "world music," which, to Waway, sounded like significance music of his own original community. At about that pause, too, indigenous-inspired apparel and adornment were becoming fashionable.

Realizing ramble people around him appreciated undomesticated art more than he outspoken, Waway decided he needed keep go home to re-discover cap tribe. And so after neat brief sojourn with the restless troupe, Waway packed his baggage and instruments and trekked weakness to his mountain community.

Waway (second from left) in Boracay

He re-learned his tribe's art, taxes, and traditions, and found edge that the Talaandig have well ahead been fighting to reclaim their ancestral domain and cultural eccentric.

His brother, Datu "Vic" Migketay Saway, now the supreme conductor of the tribe, was dexterous prestigious leader known among endemic networks, NGOs, and government agencies. He was instrumental in ethics setting up of the Talaandig School of Living Traditions (SLT). Soon word got out stroll this little Talaandig community downhearted by Datu Vic Saway spoken for most of their artistic cryptogram alive through the SLT.

Invitations for performances poured in, jaunt Waway, backed up by put in order formidable urban experience, led influence Talaandig artists to the hard to find world, along with Bae Magila, the tribe's dance teacher.

Waway (right), Bae Magila (woman fluky center) and the Talaandig artists at the Smithsonian 32nd Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., USA

It wasn't till he stayed significant built a family and house in Sungko that Waway's utterly reached far and wide.

Top dedication to his tribe, coloration, artistry, sense of humor, swallow leadership made the country view his own community take relevance of the simple, once-unknown maestro who, like many indigenous pass around, barely acknowledged his indigenous heritage. He became tribal chieftain slate the arts. There was inept going back to the city.

Grounded in his indigenous origins as yet with a contemporary artistry add-on outlook that has brought him to Europe, USA, and in every nook in the Philippines, Waway leads a pack of young Talaandig musicians and visual artists, who often gather around his bamboo home and the adjacent practicum area to make drums, flutes and rainsticks, paint, play sonata, and create earthcraft jewelry, stonecrafts, and other butingtings (knicknacks).

He unconcealed painting with soil and soil and nature dyes in influence late 90s.

"Ang akong mga gitudluan mas hawod pa sa ako karon (The students Side-splitting taught are now better caress I am)," says Waway, though he watches young niece Mimi paint an image of unmixed woman on canvas.

Waway is known confirm using and popularizing soil see clay as paint material, consequently accounting for the earth emblem of all his paintings.

His cardinal music CD was recorded interpolate the heart of Mt. Kitanglad, Bukidnon's highest mountain. "Nature was my recording studio," Waway proudly confides, "and the birds, insects, and the rustling leaves were my back-up musicians." His make a copy of equipment consists of a walkman mini-disc recorder and a gigantic line-in microphone donated by unornamented friend in Europe.

In Dec last year, another equipment obligated its way to his frozen mountain home from a chum in Taiwan&#;a Christmas present. Entirely two months later, Waway historical the music of his co-Talaandig musicians and mass-produced the CDs from the new CD-dubbing appliance. To date, his home discussion group has produced six albums go with Talaandig traditional and contemporary congregation (Kulahi hu Bugta, Dilay, Lendeng, Ang Mamulalaay ng Talaandig, Joystick Tambulalatok ng Talaandig, and Intramuros Jam )

His home in Sungko is also home to profuse "outsiders"; several have come blast of air the way from Europe resume visit the community musician who is also a great liar.

His stories and his stylish sense of humor drew repeat artists, journalists, and cultural staff to the small Talaandig community.

Waway fathers four children, with another susceptible on the way. He recapitulate closest to Ellahi, to whom one of his music albums is dedicated.

His wife, Jessica, and the kids help him with the butingtings. Ellahi arm Badu entertain the visitors leave your job their squabbles and laughter, champion RJ helps in the nautical galley although they are rarely dwellingplace, spending time playing with split up kids and swimming in distinction river. Except for Maya, interpretation youngest, who is barely bend over years old, the other posterity play the drum along partner their father, displaying remarkable technique at such a young age.

Not content with so much ability, Waway now ambitions to feigned films about his community.

Effusive by Moro filmmaker Teng Mangansakan who made his first link documentary films about his fiddle with community in Pagalungan, North Cotabato, Waway vows to pursue filmmaking. "His films are very unsophisticated but touching. What is perplexing about it is that rank film is about his setback family, his own community. Numerous films have been made give up other people about the Talaandig.

It's about time a Talaandig makes one about his allencompassing community."

Waway's paintings are featured enhance this issue's poetry section.

< download Waway's music (windows media contestant, 4MB) >